Search Climate Insights Directory
243 results
Adapting to Climate Change & Sea Level Rise
The 2014 Maryland statewide survey reveals that while a majority of residents support state action to protect coastal areas from sea level rise and general climate harms, there is significant uncertainty regarding whether sea level rise is currently occurring and what causes it. Preferred adaptation strategies include changes to zoning regulations and long-range planning. Residents identify hotter weather and severe storms as the most likely local climate impacts, with agriculture, public health, and coastlines viewed as the most at-risk resources.
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Document type: Report
Small-Scale Fisheries in Mozambique
Small-scale fisheries in Mozambique support approximately 280,000 fishers and are vital for rural food security, yet they face threats from overfishing, illegal practices, and external economic pressures. While the government has implemented co-management through Conselho Comunitário de Pesca (CCPs) and established a three-mile exclusive-use zone for small-scale fishers, these efforts are hindered by poor financial management of license and park fees. The sector is further pressured by top-down Marine Protected Area (MPA) management, which has created conflicts between fishers and tourism operators, and by high vulnerability to climate-induced droughts, cyclones, and flooding. The document recommends strengthening the role of CCPs in disaster risk preparedness, improving environmental impact assessment (EIA) monitoring, and enhancing cooperation between conservation authorities and fishing communities.
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Document type: Policy brief
Additional Information for Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP, Docket No. CP13-113-000
Intervenors, represented by Earthjustice, submitted additional evidence to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to argue that the proposed Dominion Cove Point LNG facility faces significant climate-related risks. The submission includes a NOAA report predicting an above-normal 2013 Atlantic hurricane season, a Maryland Climate Change Commission report projecting sea-level rise of up to 5.7 feet by 2100, and an IPIECA report on oil and gas industry adaptation. The intervenors contend that these factors increase the likelihood of catastrophic facility breaches or ship accidents and demand a comprehensive climate risk assessment covering the project's design, location, and shipping activities.
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Document type: Statement
Using climate information to support adaptation planning and policy-making
The document applies an eight-step process to analyze climate risks in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, by comparing local community perceptions of floods, droughts, and sea-level rise with historical data from the Dar es Salaam International Airport station and future projections under the RCP8.5 scenario. While historical data only partially confirm local perceptions of specific flood and drought events, future projections strongly suggest increasing maximum temperatures and a likely decrease in the length of the long rainy season. The study concludes that these trends threaten agriculture and health, necessitating 'climate-smart' agricultural practices and improved coastal infrastructure.
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Document type: Case study
GHANA: CLIMATE CHANGE RISK COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK FOR COASTAL URBAN DEVELOPMENT POLICY
The project utilized community-based participatory methods and the CRiSTAL tool to identify climate vulnerabilities in six Ghanaian communities, linking local findings to national policy discussions in Accra to improve coastal urban development and disaster management.
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Document type: Briefing
OUR COASTAL COMMUNITIES AT RISK
The document explains that global sea level has risen approximately eight inches since the Industrial Revolution, driven primarily by thermal expansion and the melting of land ice due to global warming. It highlights that the U.S. East and Gulf coasts are experiencing some of the world's fastest rates of rise. Projections for 2100 range from 8 inches to 6.6 feet, with significant risks of permanent inundation, amplified storm surges, and shoreline erosion for over 100 million Americans living in coastal counties. The report argues that while adaptation is necessary, reducing heat-trapping emissions is the most effective way to limit the pace and magnitude of future sea level rise.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Embedding climate change resilience in coastal city planning: Early lessons from Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
The document details the creation of the 'Guidelines for Adaptation to Climate Change in Cartagena de Indias', the first of its kind for a South American coastal city. It highlights the city's vulnerabilities to sea level rise, flooding, and ecosystem degradation, while outlining a participatory process involving 64 stakeholder groups to mainstream adaptation into zoning and land-use policies. The brief emphasizes that while the guidelines provide a framework, the process requires sustained capacity building and political commitment to overcome the opportunity costs of adaptation and the skepticism of investors.
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Document type: Policy brief
CAPE of STORMS
The report examines the vulnerability of Cape Town's 307 km coastline to climate change, highlighting the risks of rising sea levels and intensified storms. It argues against relying solely on 'hard' engineering fixes, instead advocating for a 'no regrets' approach that prioritizes nature conservation and social-institutional fixes. Central to this strategy is the implementation of a 'setback line'—a demarcated buffer zone where development is restricted to protect ecosystems and reduce financial and infrastructural risk. The document emphasizes the need for a multi-criteria risk assessment and inclusive governance to address historical socio-economic inequalities in coastal access.
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Document type: Report
Assessment of adaptation needs, policies and priorities: cases from Indonesian islands
The report finds that the implementation of Indonesia's National Action Plan Addressing Climate Change (RAN-PI) has been generally poor, particularly at the local and community levels, due to a lack of national legal foundations and poor vertical communication. While some provincial and district offices report adaptation activities like reforestation and coral transplantation, village-level communities often remain unaware of national policies and struggle with immediate climate impacts such as water scarcity, crop failure, and coastal erosion. The assessment emphasizes the need for a bottom-up approach that integrates traditional indigenous knowledge with modern science and calls for the empowerment of 'local champions' to build community resilience.
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Document type: Report
Sea-Level Rise The Impacts and Economic Costs of Sea-Level Rise on Coastal Zones in the EU and the Costs and Benefits of Adaptation
The document uses the Dynamic Interactive Vulnerability Assessment (DIVA) Model to project that under a medium-to-high emissions scenario (A1B(I)), annual damage costs in the EU could reach €25 billion by the 2080s, with 250,000 people flooded annually. It argues that a combination of mitigation (to limit long-term rise) and adaptation (such as dikes and beach nourishment) is the most effective response, noting that adaptation can reduce annual damage costs by up to 90% with a high benefit-to-cost ratio.
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Document type: Policy brief
Reefs at Risk Revisited: Atlantic
The Atlantic region contains approximately 10% of the world's coral reefs, with over 75% currently affected by local threats and more than 30% at high or very high risk. While 631 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) cover about 30% of these reefs, only 6% of the assessed area is classified as fully effective. Projections indicate that climate-related threats could push the proportion of reefs at risk to 100% by 2050.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Ecosystems, Development, and Climate Adaptation
The report examines the intersection of ecosystem management, poverty reduction, and climate adaptation in Belize, focusing on the vulnerability of its coastal zone. It identifies key drivers of change—population patterns, socio-economic development, and climate change—and uses scenario building to project outcomes by 2050. The study assesses Belize's current governance baseline across four clusters (institutions, policies, regulations, and capacity), finding that while sectoral policies are progressing, enforcement and integrated capacity remain weak. It proposes a transition toward stronger, more centralized governance and integrated cross-sectoral planning to enhance national resilience.
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Document type: Report
Scenario-Based Planning for a Changing Climate in the Bras d’Or Ecosystem
The report details a two-day workshop in January 2010 where stakeholders used participatory scenario development (PSD) to explore three future trajectories for the Bras d’Or ecosystem to the year 2060. The process identified critical climate impacts—primarily sea-level rise, increased storminess, and heavy rainfall—and proposed adaptation strategies centered on integrated land-use planning, shoreline retreat, and capacity building. The findings emphasize that a 'best case' scenario involving integrated governance and a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) designation provides the highest resilience against projected climate changes.
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Document type: Report
The Economics of Climate Change in Kenya
The report finds that existing climate variability already costs Kenya up to 2% of GDP annually, with future climate change potentially adding a loss of 2.6% of GDP per year by 2030. Adaptation needs are estimated at $500 million per year for 2012, rising to $1-2 billion per year by 2030. The study also identifies significant opportunities for low-carbon growth, noting that over 80% of selected energy-related emission reduction options can be realized at a net negative cost.
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Document type: Report
Climate Change and Trade: The Challenges for Southern Africa
The research paper examines how climate change threatens Mozambique's economic development, specifically within agriculture, tourism, and public health. It highlights the country's high vulnerability due to its geography and poverty, noting that frequent natural disasters undermine progress toward Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While the government has established a National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA), implementation is hindered by resource constraints. The paper also identifies potential opportunities through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and hydropower exports to South Africa.
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Document type: Research paper
The Economic Contribution of Belize's Coral Reefs and Mangroves
The report estimates that Belize's coral reefs and mangroves contribute between US$395 million and US$559 million annually to the national economy, representing a significant portion of the country's US$1.3 billion GDP (2007). The highest value is derived from shoreline protection (US$231–$347 million) and tourism (US$150–$196 million), while commercial fisheries contribute US$14–$16 million. Despite these high values, the report argues that investment in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is insufficient, citing the Glover's Reef Marine Reserve as a case study where annual economic contributions of US$4.9–$7.3 million are supported by only approximately US$100,000 in government management funding.
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Document type: Research paper
Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States
The document details how rising temperatures in the Northwest are reducing springtime snowpack and shifting streamflow timing, which threatens water supplies, hydropower production, and salmon populations. It also highlights risks of increased forest fires, pest infestations, and coastal erosion due to sea-level rise, particularly in the Puget Sound region.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States
The document details the risks posed by rising temperatures and sea-level rise in the Southeast US, highlighting threats to energy and transportation infrastructure, agricultural productivity, and native ecosystems.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Our Changing Climate
The report warns that California faces significant risks from global warming, with projected temperature increases between 3°F and 10.5°F by the end of the century. These changes threaten to severely reduce Sierra Nevada snowpack, increase the frequency of large wildfires, degrade air quality, and disrupt the state's $30 billion agriculture industry. The document emphasizes that while some changes are unavoidable, the most severe consequences can be avoided by reducing heat-trapping emissions to levels that keep warming within the lower range of 3 to 5.5°F.
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Document type: Report
Nuestro Clima Cambiante
The report analyzes how varying levels of greenhouse gas emissions will lead to temperature increases in California, ranging from 3 to 10.5 °F by the end of the century. It details severe risks including a 70-90% reduction in Sierra Nevada snowpack, increased frequency of extreme heat and wildfires, and rising sea levels that threaten coastal infrastructure. The document emphasizes that while some changes are inevitable, the most severe outcomes can be avoided through aggressive emission reductions, aligned with California's executive goals to return to 1990 emission levels by 2020.
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Document type: Executive summary